Bin loading apparatus



V. GRIBBLE BIN LOADING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 14, 1944 June @1945.' v, GRlBBLE Y 2,401,633

BIN LOADING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 14, 1944 2 sheets-.sheet 2 Y Patented June 4, 1946 UNITED. sTATEs PATENT OFFICE 2,401,633 i BIN LOADING APPARATUS f Virgle dribble, Wilmar, Calif. Application February 14, 1944, Serial No. 522,261

6 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to apparatus to facilitate loading from a truck' to a point elevated above the truck floor, -and while the invention may be adapted to other uses, Vit is expected to have its greatest usefulness in providing means for loading farm produce, such as wheat, or a similar grain, from a truck body into a bin.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this kind, which is of simple construction, and which enables the power of the truck to be utilized to effect the elevation of the grain to the point where it falls into the bin.

In accordance with the invention, a construction is provided, which enables one of the driving wheels of the truck to remain in a xed position while the other wheel drives the elevator that raises the grain to the bin; and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a construction which will enable the same apparatus to load the grain into a binlying at either side of the truck.

Apparatus for this purpose has been heretofore invented, in which the wheels of the truck carrying the grain, are utilized to drive two rollers from which the power is taken off for driving a transverse horizontal conveyor that delivers to an elevator to raise the grain to the bin. In such apparatus both of the rear driving wheels of the truck have been supported on the rollers. 'I'his mode of operation is objectionable because the body of the truck is not rigidly held against lateral movement, and unless the rollers are guarded or especially constructed to prevent it, the wheels and the truck body may travel laterally with the danger that the wheels may suddenly ride off of the rollers. l of my invention is to overcome this diiculty, and to provide a construction which is simpler, and reduces the length of the rollers, and which, at the same time, .will prevent a lateral movement of the truck body when the power of the truck is driving the conveyor and elevator.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple means whereby a driving connection may be readily maintained to the lateral conveyor and elevator, regardless of whether the elevator is located at the right or at the left side of the frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple construction, which will facilitate moving of the apparatus from place to place by connecting it to the rear end of an automobile, or trailer.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel parts and One of the objects combination of parts to be described hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an eiiicient bin loading apparatus.

Apreferred embodiment of the invention .is described in the following'specication, whilethe broad scope of the invention `is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: 1

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying my invention, andalso illustrating the rear end of a truck in a position to cooperate with and drive the apparatus. This view also showsthe upper portion of a bin broken away, to which grain from the truck can be delivered. In this view portions of the frame of the apparatus are broken away near the ground level.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, but without showing the truck, :and merely indicating the position of the truck wheels by dotted outlines. In this view also, the bin is omitted, and dotted lines are employed to indicate the position of the elevator in delivering the grain near the other side of the frame. f

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken about on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, said parts being broken away and shown in cross-section so as to further disclose details of the construction. In thisvi'ew the upper portion of the elevator is broken away. Also, lin this view, dotted lines are employed to indicate the position of theelevator when the hopper and horizontal conveyor are held in a reversed position to enable `the elevator to deliver to a bin on the other side of the frame.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, but showing onlya locking wheel and the locking pawl that cooperates with it..

Referring more particularly to the parts, l indicates the frame of the' devicewhich includes a roller frame Ia (see Figure 2), which is preferably of substantially rectangular form. .This roller frame la supports two rollers 2 and 3 that are adapted to support the wheel 4 ofthe truck 5, carrying grain which is to be raised by means of this apparatus from the oor of the truck to the upper edge of a bin 6, or any other elevated pointto which the grain must be raised. T-he roller frame I is intended to. lie upon the ground as illustrated in Fig. 1, and is preferably formed of metal bars. Toward their outer ends the side bars of this frame Ia are enlarged in a vertical direction to form heads 1,. and these heads preferably support the cross bar-8, which supports a hopper 9, said hopper including a substantially cylindrical trough I0 below, into which the grain descends when fed into the hopper. Within the along the trough trough I a feed screw II is mounted, and this feed screw is preferably rigid on its shaft I2, said shaft being provided with extensions I3 and III at its ends, to facilitate driving the conveyor screw II from one or both of the rollers 2 .and 3. In the present instance, I prefer to drive the shaft I2 by means of a belt I5 that runs over a belt pulley I6 on the roller 3, which is the roller at the greatest vdistance from the conveyor. The belt pulley I6 is in line with va similar belt pulley I'I carried on the end I3 of the shaft. In using the apparatus, the grain on the truck can be shoveled into the bin. The direction of rotation of the shaft I2 is such that the horizontal conveyor II will move the grain and into the lower end of a substantially upri-ght conveyor or elevator I8. This elevator may be of any desired construction, but is preferably of the bucket and belt type .involving lthe use of an .endless chain or belt I9 carrying buckets 29 that pick up the grain from the bottom of the elevator and raise the same to the upper end of the elevator, where the grain is dumped into a spout 2I that delivers the grain into the bin B.

The ends of the belt or chain I9 V.run lover pulleys 22 and 23, the latter of which is coaxial with the shaft I2; This enables the upright conveyor or elevator I8 to be rotated on` the shaftv l2 .as an axis, so Yas to change Vthe inclination of the elevator. The elevator may beheld in any adiusted angular position by means of a brace 24, the lower end of which is provided with a laterally projecting linger 25` that is received in a socket or opening in one of the heads l (see Figure 1). The upper end of vthis braceor brace bar 24., `is preferably formed with a slot 26 that receives a .clamping bolt 21 .in the side of the elevator.

.In grder to adapt the rollers 2 and 3 to cooperate with Wheels vof different diameters, .I prefer to mount the rollers so that they are relatively .adjustable toward or from each other. In .order to accomplish this, I prefer to support the roller 2 in a bracket 2.8 including side bars 29 that are guided on the side bars of the roller frame la. This .adjusting bracket 28 may be moved longitudinally along the frame I8J by means of an adjusting screw 30, one end of which is rotatably ,mounted in a swivel head 3| on a cross bar 32 that forms part of the bracket 28. This feed screw passes through a nut 33 carried by the underside of the cross bar 8, and the end vof the feed screw is provided with a crank 34 for rotating the same at will.

In order toY enable the wheel IIa of the truck to'rest-upon the ground, and at the same time, to complete the lframe I, I provide the frame with a tongue 35 that is secured to one of the side bars of the roller frame Ia, and which projects at its outer end beyond the frame Ie, its end being provided with an opening 36 or similar means enabling it to be secured to a draw bar of a truck or to the rear end of an automobile for moving the apparatus from place to place. The rear end of this tongue 35 is formed with a lateral extension 31 located to the rear of the rear wheel 4e, and terminating in a rear end 38 that extends substantially parallel with the roller frame Ia.` This rear end 38 is formed into a head similarl to the head 1, by enlarging the same in a vertical direction. This rear end 38 andthe rear ends of the side bars of the roller frame Ia, support the cross bar 8.

In order to enable the hopper 9 to be moved ist around into a reversed position so as toplace the elevator or upright conveyor I8 at the other side of the frame I, and so as to deliver in a rearward direction, I prefer to mount the hopper 9 so that it can be rotated on a substantially vertical axis and clamped in the reversed position suggested. For this purpose the hopper is preferably formed with a base plate 39 carrying a pivot bolt 40 that extends down through an opening or slot 4I in the crc-ss bar 8, and provided with a washer plate 42 and clamping nut 43. This base plate or sole plate 33 and the cross bar 8, are preferably provided with interlocking means for preventing accidental rotation on the axis of the clamping bolt I8. For this purpose the plate 39 may be provided with a pair of diametrically opposite slots Id that receive lugs I5 projecting up lfrom `the upper face of the cross bar 8. With this construction, it is evident that by loosening the nut 53, the hopper 9 can be swung around into a reversed position with respect to the frame,

The hopper is preferably located so that it lies about opposite to the rear end of the truck and in a convenient position to. enable grain on the truck floor` to be shoveled into the hopper. On

this account, it will be .noted `that one end of the hopper lies about in line with the driving wheel d and the rollers 2 and 3, While the other end of If the feed screw or worm II is a left-hand worm as illustrated in Fig. 2, the belt I5 should be .a crossed belt as indicated in Fig. 2. However, if the upright conveyor `or elevator I8 is located vin its reversed position as indicated at IBB, the belt I5 will be applied as an open belt; and when the upright conveyor is inrthis left-hand position, the pulley IIa is employed on the end III of the shaft I2 to drivethe screw conveyor Il. It will be evident that if desired, the same Apulley I'I can be used vat either end of the shaft by vmaking the same disconnectible.

In order to facilitate moving the apparatus from place to place, I prefer to provide therear ends of the frame bars that form the frameLI, with a pair of rollers 4S, the shafts 4I of which are elevated so that these rollers are held out of contact with the ground when the frame I is lying flat upon the ground.

However, if the forward end of the tongue .35 is raised to hitch the same to a tractoror the rear end of an automobile vor truck, .these rollers will rest upon the ground. This is evident from an inspection of Fig, l, which indicates the rear ends of the bars that form this frame, as being` cut away on an inclined line 48. Cutting thebars away in this manner, gives more clearance, and facilitates the rollers descending onto the ground. In order to enable the car to be driven off the rollers 2 and 3 on its own power, itis advisable' loaded, would be backed onto the frame so-.thatthe drive wheel 4 of the truck would rest on the rollers 2 and 3. The grain or other produce on fthe'floor of the truck, would befshoveledv into the hopper 9. The gear shifts (not illustrated) of the truck, would then be operated tol put the truck-in gear so as to drive the rear wheels throughthe usualV diiierential on the back axle of the truck. The wheel 4e, of course, would be kept from rotating by the ground, while the wheel 4 would rotate and drive the belt screw conveyor ll in the proper direction to push the grain from the trough into the lower end of the upright conveyor or elevator I8. This would drive the elevator in' the proper direction to dump the grain into the delivery spout 2|. The wheel Ila that rests on the ground, holds the body of the truck xed and prevents any possibility of vthe truck running oli' the rollers.

If it is necessary or more convenient to have the elevator I8 deliver the grain in the opposite direction and on theopposite side of the frame I, this can be accomplished by loosening the nut 43 and rotating the hopper and elevator I8 around to a reversed position, in which the elevator will occupy the position I 8a as illustrated in Fig. 2. In practice, a ilexible tube (not illustrated) would be carried on the end of the spout 2l.

Many other embodiments of this invention may be resorted toewithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a loading apparatus for loading material from a motor truck to an elevated point above a bin, the combination of a frame to be supported upon the ground adjacent the bin, said frame including a roller frame with a pair of rollers carried therein adjacent the ground to receive one of the driving wheels of the truck while the other wheel of the truck rests in a xed position on the ground, a transversely disposed hopper in a position to receive material from the rear end of the truck, a lower conveyor in the hopper, means for driving the same from one of the rollers, said hopper having one end adjacent the roller frame and having its other end extending laterally from the roller frame, the first-named frame also including a forwardly extending tongue attached to the inner side of the said roller frame and having a lateral extension extending back of the position of the truck wheel that rests on the ground, and attached to the hopper to support the same, a conveyor associated with the hopper, and a substantially upright conveyor means for receiving material from the first-named conveyor and for delivering the same into the bin.

including a roller frame with a pair of rollers carried therein adjacent the ground to receive one of the driving wheels of the truck while the other wheel of the truck rests in a xed position on the ground, a transversely disposed hopper in a position to receive material from the rear end of the truck, a lower conveyor in the hopper, means for driving the same from one of the rollers, said hopper having one end adjacent the roller frame and having its other end extending laterally from the roller frame, the first-named frame also including a forwardly extending tongue attached to the inner side ofthe said roller frame and having a lateral extension extending back of the position of the truck wheel that rests on the ground, and attached to the hopper to I5, thereby driving `the terial from the iirst-named conveyonandffor delivering the same into the bin, andV apair of trundle rollers supported on the endof the frame adjacent the hopper, with their shafts elevated 'on the frame so that when the `frame is lying dat upon the ground the trundle rollers are supported above the ground, and so that when.ithe=tongue `is elevatedat its end remote 'from the hopper, the

Vtrundle rollers will rest on the ground and operate as a wheeled-support for the rear eiid of the loading'apparatus in dragging the same like a trailer 'from placeto place.

3.`In a loading apparatus for loading Tmaterial from a motor truck `to an elevated point above a bin, the combinationof a frame to' be supported upon the ground adjacent the bin, a pair of rollers carried by said frame adjacent the ground to receive oneof the driving wheels of the truck while the other wheel of the truck rests in a fixed position on the ground, a transversely disposed hopper mounted on :a frame to rotate on a substantially vertical axis and capable of assuming two positions in which it can receive material from the rear end of the truck, a lower conveyor associated with the hopper and a substantially upright conveyor means supported on the hopper so that it is capable of being swung with the hopper into a reverse position toward the other side of the frame, and means for dri`v' ing the lower conveyor from one of the rollers in either of the positions that the hopper may assume.

4. In a loading apparatus for loading material from a motor truck to an elevated point above a bin, the combination of a frame to be supported upon the ground adjacent the bin, a pair of rollers carried by said frame adjacent the ground to receive one of the driving wheels of the truck while the other wheel of the truck rests in a xed position on the ground., a transversely disposed hopper mounted on a frame to rotate on a substantially vertical axis and capable of assuming two positions ceive material from the rear end of the truck, a lower conveyor associated with the hopper and veyor in either of the said positions that the hopper may assume.

5. In a loading apparatus for loading material from-a motor truck to a bin, the combination of a frame to be supported in which it can re- Y an elevated point above ottherame. a .support for the hopper, .a oon- 'nesting means between said hopper and said support to render said hopper and said conveyor lcapable of being swung around on said support into a reverse position to hold the substantially per in a direction to advance material from the hopper into the upright conveyor.

6. In a loading apparatus for loading material from a motor truck to an elevated point above a bin, the combination of a frame to be supported upon the ground adjacent the bin, said frame including ka rol-1er frame with a pair of rollers carried thereby adjacent the ground to receive oneof the driving wheels of the truck while the other wheel of the truck rests in a xedposition, a transversely disposed hopper including, a con veyor trough .and a screw conveyor at the bottom `thereof to'receive material from the rear vend of the truck, asubstantially upright conveyor means for receiving the material from the screw conveyor, and supported on the hopper at one side of the frame, a support for the hopper, a connecting means between said support and said hopper rendering said hopper and said conveyor capable of being swung around on said support into a reverse position to hold the substantially upright conveyor at the other side of the frame, said screw conveyor having a. 'shaft projecting at each end beyond the ends of the hopper, a belt pulley rigid with one of said rollers, a, pulley for theends of said shaft to align with the pulley of the roller to enable a' belt to be employed in either position of the hopper to drive the screw conveyor.

VIRGLE GRIBBLE. 

